Beyond Diversity: The Evolution of Inclusion and Belonging in the Workplace
By: Ranjini Chakraborty, People Leader with Giesecke + Devrient Mobile Security India PvT Ltd

To establish and understand ‘inclusion’ as of 2023, we need to let go of our subaltern ideology. What does that mean? Well, simply, negating any ideas of status at any level. Inclusion is not buzzword, it’s an ‘attitude’ or simply, down to its core, compassion and acceptance that must percolate top-across. We must move past the discussion on whether we should have a ‘third washroom’ for employees who don’t identify in the society-defined genders, and truly, understand the ground realities & challenges they have to face while we still go on discussing about the need. We cannot just cut a rainbow cake in June - we have to sit with a new mother, with an employee of colour, with a member of the LGBTQIA+. Or simply, learn to take feedback from the employee looking for inclusion, before jumping on representing a community we don’t belong to, in essence.
Inclusivity and Ace Leadership
Well, this will not appear overnight, it must be practiced religiously as the DNA of the organization. And it starts with the people in power – those with an influence to change. From the compassion of leaders, who WANT to be relevant. And so, it’s imperative for a leader to learn to unlearn. This is the first step towards growing together. What’s next?

1. Using the correct language: The heteronormative ideology is deeply ingrained that we never question or find an all-male panel out of place or not balanced. Start at bringing everybody on the same plain – maybe using ‘they’ to address someone instead of ‘he’ or ‘she’ or replacing ‘guys’ with ‘folks’ or ‘people’ etc.
2. Debunking hierarchy: As stated above, be a leader who is accessible and ‘human’ above all. Address your mistakes too and your intent to learn. Ask questions, irrespective of anybody’s age or post or gender etc.
3. But first, train: Training and sensitizing the employees is a must. It’s important for everyone to learn workplace decorum and evolve together and know the strict policies they will face if they don’t extend the mutual respect to their peers.
4. Grievance platform: This goes beyond demographics, of course. Have clear communication platforms and opportunities that might address any differences in opportunities or if they’re being denied them.

Getting Better Together

As per a study by Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers shared that a diverse workforce was essential when evaluating companies and job offers. A very interesting finding is that not only leaders and employees but even clients feel safer and more open to trusting an inclusive workplace. Why? Because a motivated and a safe workplace allows the employees to also extend & exude the same encouragement & showcase their best. As per an analysis by McKinsey & Company in 2019, ‘Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile—up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014.’ Here’s sharing some more benefits of encouraging an inclusive ecosystem -

1. Enhanced creativity: Imagine working in a hostile environment. Imagine working under constant stress and waiting to rush out a place. How will it impact your work? This is why it’s important to inculcate a sense of belonging – for enhanced productivity and creativity. It will give birth to a sense of culling out better ideas and growing together
2. Equal ownership: An employee who looks forward to coming to work, will be willing to grow – not at the company, with the company.
3. Wider talent pool: An inclusive workplace is bound to attract a diverse set of talent pools. So many new ideas, backgrounds, inspiration, and a learning curve.
4. Decision making: Inclusive teams foster a secure leadership. A team that knows how to learn and respect everyone in the team will be more secure of their performance and use the wide set of perspectives in making a well-informed decision.

In nutshell
Choosing to stay relevant and one with the times is no longer a luxury but a necessity. There’s almost a new thing to learn from the new generation every day and inculcating a sense of inclusivity at work is no longer a fad but must be a pre-requisite.
Diversity is a must; inclusivity is a responsibility. While we speak a lot about the D in DEI, we need to evolve and create a healthy ecosystem on the ‘I’ – and this won’t be successful if we don’t sit together and sensitize each other to truly understand how non-inclusivity is scarring. Not from the ones on the safer side of the table, but the ones who’re just seeking a sense of belongingness at their place of work.